Fence-machine



(No Model.)

- J. SORNSON.

FENGE MACHINE.

v PatTed Feb. 19, 1889.

j/VVE/VTOH: v ag ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT ErcE.

JOHN SORNSON, OF BRAYTON, IOI VA.

FENCE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,090, dated February 19, 1889.

Application filed December 21, 1888. Serial No. 29 1,29 1. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN SORNSON, of Brayton, in the county of Audubon and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fence-Machines, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in fence-machines, and has for its object to provide a simple and effective device for wiring in pickets or planks comprising a fence; to which end my invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a fence, illustrating the application of my device thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3, an end view of the same. Fig. 4 is a perspective partial detail view of the detached device, and Fig. 5 is a central vertical section through Fig. 1.

In carrying out the invention two or more wire strands, 10, are attached to posts 11 in any approved manner, each strand comprising two parallel longitudinal pieces of wire. In the drawings Ihave exhibited three strands, two to confine the ends of the pickets and one also for the middle portion.

The wire-twister for wiring in the pickets consists of'a body, 12, preferably rectangular and of greater length than width, terminating at its upper end in a handle, 18, of any approved pattern. Upon one face of the said body 12 a series of twisting-arms, 14, are hinged, one below the other, and so spaced that an arm may engage each wire strand to be twisted without interfering with the others.

The twisting-arm l4 usually consists of a wooden or metal block, 15, having transverse grooves 18 produced on opposite sides at or near the free end, the said block being attached to the strap 16, which strap is pivoted upon a staple, 17, driven into the body 12, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. I desire it, however, to be understood that in practice the twisting-arms may be hinged to the body in any other equivalent manner, and that the straplG and block 15 may be made of one piece of metal, if found more practicable.

In the free end of each of the twisting-arms 14 a clamping-fork, 19, is held to revolve, the members of which fork project across the several grooves 18 and preferably beyond the extremity of the arm, as best illustrated in Figs. at and 5. The clamping-fork usually consists of a piece of wire of suitable thickness passing through a transverse aperture in the block portion 15 of the arm, whereupon the wire is bent upon itself to assume a U shape.

The body 12 of the device, and likewise'the arms, may be constructed of metal; or the said body may be formed of wood, likewise the block portion 15 of the twisting-arm, in which event the strap 16, attached to the block-section 15, will be made of metal. 7

In constructing a picket or plank fence by the use of my invention the fence-posts are first fixed in the earth,and the bars or wires are then secured to the first post and stretched along the posts, for instance, from fifty to a hundred feet, or any other convenient length, and wrapped around the last post, the latter being braced to prevent it from being pulled out of perpendicular position by the contraction of the wires, which will be caused by the weaving in of the pickets. The device is now brought in engagement with the several bars or strands of wire, which is accomplished in the following manner, to wit: The body 12 is held in a perpendicular position with the handle 13 uppermost, the arms are permitted to assume a downward inclination,.and the wires of the upper bars are brought in contact with the grooves in the upper twisting-arm, one wire being made to lie in the outer groove and the other wire in the inner groove. The clamping-fork is then carried over the several grooves and the wires therein to prevent the said wires from leaving the said grooves, as il lustrated in Fig. The remaining arms are secured to the other sets or pairs of wire in like manner. Now, beginning at I the first post,

the body 12 is reciprocated and carried downward, as indicated by the arrows to the right in Figs. 1 and 3. This manipulation of the twister forms one twist simultaneously for each pair of wires next to the post, to provide a space between the latter and the first picket. Afterward the twister is slid along the wire to create a space for receiving the first picket. The twister is then drawn upward again, weaving the wire, and thus continues weaving in the pickets, reversing the direction of reciprocation of the twister with each picket inserted, so as to prevent the wires being constantly twisted in the same direction between the twisting device and the fence-post to which said device is approaching. After the twisting device passes the fence-post the wire should be secured to the posts by staples or other equivalent devices.

It will be obvious that when a picket is illserted and the wires twisted to secure said picket, the wires will likewise be twisted between the twister and the fence-post to which the wire strands are loosely secured; and when another picket is inserted the reverse reciprocation of the twisting device untwists the twisted part of the wire between the device and the said post.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a means for wiring fence-pickets, a twister comprising a body portion, arms hinged upon one face of the body, grooved to receive the wire strands, and aclamping-fork attached to the free extremity of the said arms, substantially as shown and described.

2. As a means for wiring fence-pickets, a twister comprising a body portion, arms hinged at intervals upon one face of the body, said arms being provided with a transverse groove in opposite sides near their free end, and a clamping-fork extending across the said grooves, all combined for operation, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with fence-posts and strands of wire secured to said posts and arranged in parallel pairs, of a twisting device comprising a body portion, arms hinged at intervals upon one face of the body, said arms being provided with a transverse groove in opposite sides to receive the wires, and an ad justable clamping-fork attached to the arms and extending across the grooves therein, substantially as shown and described.

4. As a means for Wiring fence-pickets, a twister comprising a body portion, arms hinged at intervals upon one face of the body, said arms being provided with a transverse groove in opposite sides near their free end, and a revoluble U shaped fork pivotedin the free end of said arms, the members of which fork extend across the grooves produced in the arms, substantially as shown and described.

JonN' SORNSON.

\Vitnesses:

Nuns. J. Boosn, (3. 1\IoI)ANiELs. 

